Breaking Rules
Finest craftsmanship between tradition and rebellion
Your dress - your Statement.

This is the message behind your new dress:

A dress that combines art and craftsmanship
A garment that makes an intercultural statement and is characterised by a very special design. A new interpretation of Pakistani embroidery and cut patterns. High-quality fabrics complete the extraordinary appearance. A dress that tells stories.

BREAKING RULES is feminine fashion that makes a statement. - For diversity, art and fairness in fashion.

We are Khawar Saleem and Thyra Holst, a creative duo from Pakistan and Germany that rethinks tradition.

With BREAKING RULES, we set new accents by preserving traditions and integrating elements of modern art. We create craftsmanship with artistic expression in modern design. Our fashion is exactly for you, because you value quality, art and fairness.

In our collection you will find your special dress or accessory.

With a combination of clear motifs, subtle colours and special cuts, we create fashion that impresses with elegance, style and a firework of creativity.
For our craftsmen who make our garments, it's so much more.
These adult men earn a fair wage to support their families and work in respectful conditions. They are proud to preserve their tradition.

BREAKING RULES is slow fashion: high quality, fair, durable and above all individual.
We offer you a customised garment. You decide which fabric your new dress is made from: Silk, cotton-viscose, linen-viscose, ...?
You also have the choice of whether we sew your dress for you or supply you with the embroidered fabric and pattern - just as you wish.
Find your favourite dress or accessoire and break the rules with us.
Breaking Rules - individual fashion. Your dress, your statement.

contact:

Thyra Holst

breaking.rules.fashion@gmail.com

Instagram: breaking_rules_fashion

Breaking the rules … When Pakistani elegance and European art meet in a cultural dialogue

Link online magazin Breaking Rules.. عندما تلتقي الأناقة الباكستانية بالفن الأوروبي في حوار ثقافي أنيق, May 2025

By Abdelhay Korrekt
In a world that is rapidly changing under the weight of artificial intelligence, Breaking Rules is a fine art project that revitalises craftsmanship and cross-cultural fashion aesthetics.
The project is an extraordinary collaboration between Pakistani designer Khawar Saleem, who has 70 years of experience in the art of traditional hand embroidery, and multi-talented German-European artist Thera Holst, who comes from the world of ballet, abstract art and digital collage to give the designs a modern, rebellious flavour.
The first collection, according to a statement received by Express News for the project, is a beautiful fusion of patterns inspired by elements of nature such as the sun, roots and leaves, asymmetrical cuts and modern textile techniques, while relying on muted colours that exude a silent sophistication, and each piece is made to order, allowing the customer to choose the fabric in accordance with his taste and vision.
It is a story of mutual trust, cultural respect, and the embodiment of spiritual values such as patience, tawakkul, and serenity. Thera finds that Khawer values her as an artist and a human being, while she is impressed by his quiet rigour and inherent mastery.
‘Breaking Rules is not just a fashion statement, but an aesthetic manifesto with a humanitarian message: that art can be a vehicle for dialogue, and beauty can be a common language.
As founder of kulturdialog e.V., Thera seeks to bridge the cultural gap between Europe and Pakistan, breaking stereotypes through projects that speak the language of creativity and respect.
Under the motto ‘Your dress is your statement’, each piece becomes a declaration of individual taste and a free personality that values craft and tradition without abandoning modernity.
Breaking Rules is a project that wears the garb of elegance, but at its core, it is an invitation to cross-border human dialogue.